Chef John's Twice-Baked Potatoes

"When entertaining guests on special occasions, don't forget that you're putting on a show with the food. And, when it comes to starchy side dishes, these potatoes are a great way to express flair for the dramatic."

Directions

Rub potatoes with vegetable oil and place on the prepared baking sheet.

Bake in the preheated oven until a paring knife easily inserts into the center of a potato, about 1 hour. Set aside to cool until easy to handle, about 10 minutes.

Cut 1/3 off each potato lengthwise. Scoop flesh from each potato to within about 1/8-inch of the skins. Transfer flesh to a bowl.

Combine potato flesh with butter and green onion; stir until butter is melted evenly into potato. Add salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and cheese; stir until cheese is melted. Pour cream and egg yolk into potato mixture; mix to combine. Season with salt to taste.

Place small piece of potato skin inside the bottom of each larger potato shell. Fill each potato with an equal amount of cheese mixture. Gently press the surface of the filling with a fork to create texture. Brush tops with melted butter and sprinkle with paprika.

Most Helpful Positive Review

Jan 23, 2013

I love this technique for cutting the tops and stuffing these spuds. The Paprika on top gives these a nice colorful touch. I had to leave the egg yolk out - due to allergy concerns - I just added a spoon of sour cream to help hold it all together. Can be made ahead. Very nice presentation.

Most Helpful Critical Review

Nov 13, 2013

This is easily "skinnied" down...omit the egg yolk (not certain why it's added and it would require temping the potato) and use fat free half and half, only a small amount of butter in the filling with chicken stock. Unless the potatos are small, I will half them lengthwise and add the insides of an extra potato or 2. I will then pipe the filling into each half and use a butter spray on top. This results in a much better presentation and my guests are much happier with a smaller serving.

These potatoes were very flavorful with the green onion mixed in. I chose this recipe because I was out of sour cream and this recipe doesn't call for it. And you don't miss it. I did add a little garlic salt for extra flavor, and I used yellow cheddar as I did not have white. I like that the section sliced off the top is used inside the shell. No waste! Will definitely make again.

My family raved about these potatoes... definitely worth the extra effort for a special occasion. I had no heavy cream on hand and had substituted about 1/3 c. of cream cheese (1/3 less fat version) and 2 Tbsp. of milk.

This was my first time making twice-baked potatoes, and they came out truly delicious. I remember in Chef John's video for this recipe that he said he hoped people would experiment and do their own take on the perfect twice-baked potato, so I did. :) My own version of this will be quite different from this, but first of all, I took his advice and chose very round potatoes for baking. I added sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese, butter, and a little paprika, salt, and pepper. I feel like this is a base model for whatever kind of potatoes you want to have. It was fun to experiment. My husband and I scarfed these down with 57 Sauce. (I know, completely unlike this recipe, but I'm taking Chef John's advice and that's my excuse.) These looked really classy, too. Will make again and again! Thanks, Chef!

YUM! These were so creamy for only using a fork to mix. I usually use a potato masher. I decided to spray the potatoes with Pam spray instead of using oil. I always use oil, can't say why I went with Pam. Came out perfect! And no greasy hands to wash. So simple and easy to put together. I love the flavor that the green onions give these potatoes. Oh so good and pretty. Sorry Chef John, but I am going to follow this recipe exactly, why mess with a great thing? But I might add bacon next time, bacon makes everything better! Thanks Chef John!

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

**Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.

(-)Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.